Red Dress Day, observed annually on May 5, is a National Day of Awareness for Missing & Murdered Indigenous Women, Girls & Two-Spirit people (those who identify as having both a feminine and masculine spirit).
Red Dress Day, observed annually on May 5, is a National Day of Awareness for Missing & Murdered Indigenous Women, Girls & Two-Spirit people (those who identify as having both a feminine and masculine spirit).
Inspired by the work of Métis artist Jaime Black that would go on to spark the REDress Project, this day draws attention to the more than 1,000 Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls (MMIWG) in Canada.
The project was started in 2010 after Black displayed an installation at the University of Winnipeg that included a series of empty red dresses to honour and symbolize the lost lives of Indigenous women at the hands of violence. On this day, participants are encouraged to display empty red dresses in public spaces or wear red dresses to show support for the lives of MMIWG. Additional activities taking place on this day include also marches, memorials, and walks across Canada. Installations of red dresses are displayed in museums, university campuses, and exhibits.